July 19, 2004

The Open : Just Want To Live

There's a solor eclipse as this massive single crosses the sky...

With the trend of bands naming themselves after major sporting events - The Open, Grand National - now gathering breakneck pace, how long can it be before we are thrilling to Autoglass Trophy at the Dublin Castle, ably supported by Wimbledon Over-35s Mixed Doubles Final? Anyway, all hilarity aside, this sees the Northern most-likely-tos throwing off all shackles of volume restraint and chorus magnitude, and staking a pretty indisputable claim as the new standard-bearers of Great Big Rock. There's a touch of House Of Love's 'The Girl With The Loneliest Eyes' or Doves at their most sky-scraping about 'Just Want To Live'. Guitars ring out clear and bright-eyed like peace-time bells, everything builds to such a gigantic crescendo that the addition of one more hi-hat tap would have blown the mixing desk, and it is simply impossible to not get carried along in its sonic slipstream.

Timing is everything in pop, and given that this record is lucky enough to be coming out in time for not one but TWO sporting events whipping us all into a state of triumphalist fervour, this should barrel upper-chartwards and guarantee Rickenbacker-shaped swimming pools for all concerned. There is no limit to its shameless anthemicity - a million broken campus romances will be healed to this, a million sports-clips montages extolling the predatory genius of Wayne Rooney will use this as a score, and it may even join Nick Drake's 'Northern Sky' in accompanying the first kiss in an amiable John Cusack romantic comedy. To gnash your teeth about this shamelessness would be rather like bemoaning the body count in Starship Troopers. It is big.

It is impressive. Deal with it.

There is no mountain peak on Earth high enough for the setting of the video that should rightfully accompany this. They'd have to shoot it on the moon or something.

Pete Cashmore

/media/images/shop_buy_section.gif

[/url]

Get 'Just Want To Live' at the NME Shop

BUY!

Rate this track

Average rating

Be the first to rate this track

NEW! For the latest music videos and backstage interviews, check out our brand new sister site, NME Video.